For Protestants, Scripture alone is the source and rule of the Christian faith. Protestantism takes an "either/or" approach, but Catholicism has a "both/and" perspective. Tradition is the handing on of beliefs and practices by oral as well as written means. The Bible, though uniquely inspired, is part of a Tradition larger than itself, of which it is an encapsulation. Catholics describe Scripture, Tradition, and the Church as a "three-legged stool."

Should the Bible be fully expected to teach sola Scriptura it in its pages; does it necessarily have to do so for sola Scriptura to be true?

Scripture is, we are told, clear enough in its main outlines to be understood by the layman without necessary help from any church body or ecclesiastical communion. Yet despite this claim, many profound inter-Protestant disagreements continue and show no sign of cessation. This difficulty and many others will be examined in this book.